Ferrara—things to do?

You'll be in Ferrara on Tuesday? Go see the big room of frescoes in the Palazzo Schifanoia (opens at 10:00am on Tuesday, it's closed on Monday).

If you would enjoy a unique experience, partly about seeing some interesting frescoes from the school of Giotto, go to this nunnery, the Monastero di Sant’Antonio in Polesine. Ring the door bell and ask to visit the frescoes. A nun who is allowed to have contact with the public will escort you and give you a quick tour (ours was in Italian, but maybe she also can do English) of the three chapels and some other things. Available 9:30–11:45am and 3:15–4:45pm.

For restaurants, I Tri Scalin was recommended by my husband's cooking class teachers in Ferrara for very traditional food.

Trattoria da Noemi is really good, too.

As a help to future people searching this forum for things to do in Ferrara, is it possible to change the spelling in your title to Ferrara? You got the double "R" in the right place, though, which is what I ALWAYS have to double-check whenever I spell the name!

There are lots of things to see in Ferrara, a very pleasant place for strolling around. Here are some ideas:
https://slowtravelitalyspain.blogspot.com/2023/12/ferrara-trip-report.html?m=1

A bit more, from my notes:

*** Museo della Cattedrale (better than cathedral's interior) with medieval architecture at the entrance.

*** Romanesque cathedral with carved pink marble façade & a row of medieval shops along its side. Still being renovated or cleaned or something when we were there in December, so you can't see much of the facade. I was bummed --- it was also covered up on our previous visit in 2016.

*** Former Jewish quarter is atmospheric, especially the vaulted streets of the Via della Volte. A lot of Ferrara is brick, which I love.

*** https://www.peopleareculture.com/ferrara-in-italy/

*** https://notaboutthemiles.com/things-to-do-in-ferrara/

*** Be sure to eat some cappellacci di zucca Ferraresi --- pasta filled with pumpkin.

If you have time for it, a walk on the medieval city walls would be very nice. Or a walk in the Jewish Ghetto, in the small streets to the right of Via Mazzini (entering from Piazza Trento - Trieste which itself is next to the cathedral), one of the main shopping streets.

Another good restaurant for traditional ferrarese food is Il Mandolino, not very far from Da Noemi (good food, but slightly less traditional). Both restaurants are very central; Il Mandolino is on Via delle Volte, the most famous old city street of Ferrara. I Tri Scalin is a bit outside of the city center, on via Darsena; for me it would be a bit far to walk.

The only other restaurant I have recent experience with is Trattoria L'Ortica (a fish restaurant, not traditional at all) in via Giuseppe Fabbri, but that is really out of the city center, and I always go there by car,

P.S.: I just checked Da Noemi and il Mandolino - they are both closed on Tuesdays - sad!

We really enjoyed our 3-day, 2-night stay in Ferrara. It is a great city for walking or strolling, with a pedestrian path leading from the train station to the main piazza and Duomo San Giorgio. Several pedestrianized shopping streets extend in different directions from the piazza (north and east if I recall correctly.).

The old frescoes mentioned by nancys8 are amazing; entrance to the museum includes an audio guide for your phone.

Finding the start of the pedestrian/cycling path from the station was not easy for us the first time, as the way seems to be blocked by a large building. But there is a passageway through the building used by pedestrians and cyclists, and you may be able to just follow them. It is basic all just straight out from the station exit, across a wide street. The crosswalk might line up with it. If you cannot find it, go around the building and pick Vis Arturo Cassoli which passes the soccer stadium on the north side (left side as you face it. Stay on this and it will turn into Via Giuseppe Garidaldi, a pedestrian/cycle path lined with little shops, eateries, and more. Many of the cafe’s will be offering the local flatbread specialty, pinzini (which we did not sample as I do not eat bread).

https://www.tasteatlas.com/pinzini-ferrarese

Shortly you will arrive at Piazza Trento i Trieste, the main piazza. The cathedral San Giorgio is to your left, with piazza Duomo in front, around the corner from that is Piazza Municipale with the Castello Estense. This area is well supplied with food opportunities if it is time for lunch.

For walking green spaces, I highly recommend a walk on the walls. If you walk the section between numbers 3 and 5 on the lower map, you will have a good experience of the green spaces adjacent, and you will exit the walk near Palazzo Schifanoia to see the murals (check the opening hours to make sure this timing will work.

https://www.travelemiliaromagna.it/en/walls-of-ferrara/

https://www.ferraraterraeacqua.it/en/discover-the-area/routes-and-tours/history-and-culture-routes/ferrara-and-its-wall

Thanks so much everyone for your informative replies. I am sure we will have a great day tomorrow with lots to do. It looks like the castle is not open on Tuesdays but there is so much else and we are excited about it all!

The Pinacoteca Nazionale, housed in the magnificent Palazzo Diamante, is interesting, and it is well worth a walk out through the Renaissance addition to Ferrara (as opposed to the medieval center)--it's really beautiful and quite peaceful.

https://gallerie-estensi.beniculturali.it/en/pinacoteca-nazionale/

I'm late, but nobody mention the main monument of the Ferrara: The Estense Castle! Do a guided visit there, because is really incredible.

The Castello Estense is indeed very nice. It was mentioned in my post above, but the OP found that it is closed on Tuesdays, the day of their visit.

But I hope others reading here for ideas on what to see in Ferrara will take note.

https://www.visitferrara.eu/en/da-vedere/castello-estense